On September 18, 2024, during Hispanic Heritage Month, Catalyst gathered a panel of experts for a webinar “Let’s Hit the Accelerator for Latine Women in the Workplace.” Here are some highlights from the engaging discuss about effective strategies to not only attract Latina talent but also to create inclusive environments that support their long-term success and advancement.

Concentrate on Culture

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” says Eddie Coronado, Founder Upskill HR, when discussing how to recruit Latine talent. “It really starts with culture…If your company does not have a values or mission statement that aligns with their identity, you’re less likely to attract that type of people into your organization. And so it’s really important before you even try to come up with any recruitment strategies that you align internally, that your organization is building an inclusive environment from the top down.”

Employ recruitment strategies.

“While culture does eat strategy for breakfast..I think strategy is very important and I think the culture builds off of that,” says Janet Sandoval Director, Global Corporate Social Responsibility Avery Dennison. “We try to present a pool of screened and qualified candidates to be considered to interview and out of those candidates, we have at least 50% female. And for North America, that’s at least one candidate that identifies Hispanic or Latinx and one candidate that identifies as Black / African American.”

Another way to increase a company’s talent pipeline is “partnering with organizations that have big pools of Latine talent,” Coronado says.

Build inclusion into the fabric of your organization.

Having strategies, programs, and policies like anti-bias training are important but “make sure they’re not just lip service,” cautions Ana Jaramillo, DEI Engagement Specialist Moneris. “It’s making sure that you have middle management buy in. It’s making sure that there are not silos or pockets of the organization that are not being authentic to those values and to those strategies of inclusion,” she says. Jaramillo points to Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and sponsorships and mentorships as being valuable resources and strategies to foster inclusion.

Recognize and address barriers

“We’re taught to not toot your own horn,” Sandoval says about a cultural barrier to success that some Latine women face. Jaramillo shared a saying that she says many Latine women hear throughout their lives: “’Calladita te miras mas bonita,’ which means like ‘If you’re quiet, you’re prettier,’” and says “how much that permeates the way that you continue to behave even within the corporate context.”

She suggests that a way to address this reticence to self-advocate is to ask managers to step in. “Sometimes you need an open offer. Sometimes you need leadership to tap your shoulder,” she says.

Another barrier to success is a lack of opportunities, Jaramillo says, referring to access to educational and networking opportunities and to role models. “How many of us are the first in many ways?” she asks. That’s where mentorship and sponsorship can make a difference. However, our panelists cautioned leaders to recognize the differences in these roles and to set both parties up for success by educating them about expectations and best practices.

Sandoval brought up the point that “Latine women have a lot of disproportionate caregiving responsibilities, and so what policies and practices do you have in place to help people navigate that? Do you have any programs for returnship?”

Invest in Talent.

To prevent the high cost of replacing Latine women talent, Sandoval advises to “continuously invest in their growth … imagine if it is the glass cliff, these are senior level positions that you’re then having to replace because maybe you didn’t give that person a raise, maybe you didn’t provide that person executive coaching or additional support or maybe they got so tired of being the only and fighting for having a voice in in those C- suite meetings that they decided to become a consultant or an entrepreneur.”

Take Action

Latine women face numerous barriers to workplace success, but organizations can take steps to attract and retain Latine talent.

• Have a clear and inclusive mission statement to attract potential candidates.
• Understand unconscious bias and its impact and address internal, interpersonal, and organizational biases.
• Employ recruitment strategies like partnering with select organizations and prescreening applicants for interviews to include candidates from historically marginalized communities.
• Build a supportive company culture that values diverse perspectives and experiences
  through resources like ERGs.
• Recognize and address barriers to success by encouraging leaders to guide Latine women forward.
• Invest in talent by providing support throughout employees’ careers such as executive training, mentorship, and sponsorship.
• Avoid tokenism by ensuring that all levels of leadership have a presence at programs and events.

To learn more about proven DEI training programs and strategies, click here.

The post Strategies to support Latine women in the workplace appeared first on Catalyst.

Among the 56% of Latine women who report feeling on guard at work, nearly half say they think about quitting “frequently” or “all the time.” This frightening data illuminates an enormous opportunity for organizations to practice active and engaged allyship to drive Latine women’s long-term success.

Allyship and inclusive leadership are critical for breaking down systemic barriers and fostering an environment where Latine women can thrive. By actively supporting and advocating for Latine women, businesses can enhance their talent pipelines, promote diversity, and create a culture of inclusion.

Join our panel of experts for Hispanic Heritage Month to discuss:

• Best practices for enhancing psychological safety in the workplace
• How inclusive leaders can model allyship for Latine women at all levels of an organization
• Specific programs and initiatives to empower and advance Latine women through every stage of their careers

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access registration. If you are NOT a Catalyst Supporter, please email us to proceed with payment and registration. For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Pathways to Progress: Leveraging Allyship for Latine Women’s Advancement appeared first on Catalyst.

Caroline Wanga thinks corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts need a reframe, regardless of the backlash they face in culture and politics.

As President & CEO of Essence Ventures, Co-Founder of WangaWoman, and former Chief Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Target, Wanga champions and inspires authenticity as the key to achieving the “goals” of DEI initiatives in the corporate sector and beyond.

By embracing humanity over numbers, companies can create cultures that celebrate the uniqueness of individuals and foster a sense of belonging—while also making money.

Based on Wanga’s keynote discussion with Elisa Leary, Senior Vice President, People & Culture, Catalyst, at the 2024 Catalyst Awards, here are five questions to ask yourself about the DEI policies and programs in your workplace:

1. Do your workplace policies give individuals permission to express themselves and ask for what they need?
   “For the amount of time I invested in being in all the right places for DEI, none of my numbers moved because I was there. My numbers moved when people saw me come to work with dreadlocks and finally started wearing their vacation braids to work.”White norms are often centered in workplace culture and dress code policies, favoring people with straighter and finer hair while devaluing people with kinkier and coarser hair.As a Black woman, Wanga expressed the freedom she felt when permitted to wear her natural hair at work and how wearing what she wanted to “freed up my mental capacity by 40% to do my job.”
2. Do your mentorship programs pair employees based on their appearance or deeper qualities they need to succeed?
   
   “Corporate America mentorship should be aligned to the needs of the person and the best person who can give them that. What they happen to look like should not be a factor in whether they’re a good mentor.”Wanga discussed the transformative effect mentorship had on her career journey to the C-suite, particularly her relationship with Brian Cornell, Chairman & CEO of Target Corporation.Their partnership worked well because Cornell had experience with mental health, which Wanga needed when she was experiencing depression symptoms at work.Oftentimes, Wanga found, it was suggested she should pair with mentors who looked like her. “Understand who I am and what I need to succeed and pair me with the best person in the company to do that. And the first qualification is not skin color,” she said.
3. Does your workplace offer space for employees to truly listen to each other?
   
   “We were teaching everybody how to come out and say stuff that makes people uncomfortable… What we forgot to do is teach people how to listen to it.”During her career at Target, Wanga created listening sessions based on important cultural and political events happening in broader society and how they impacted employees. This strategy creates space for empathy, an important driver for engagement and inclusion.She compared the success of these sessions, whose emphasis was on listening over responding, to the “courageous conversations” DEI trend, which focused on speaking over listening.”

   It wasn’t about who was right and who was wrong. It was about creating a setting that allows people’s humanity to exist. And as long as there was no violation of the law policy, dignity, and respect, you let it happen.”

4. Do your DEI programs foster personal accountability and action?
   
   “The next time you use the word ‘DEI,’ instead of saying I need DEI to do this, or I’m worried that DEI is doing this, take out the word ‘DEI’ and put your name and see how you feel. Because if you’re not doing it, I don’t care about DEI.”The risks of performative DEI policies are high, including negative impacts on employee retention and performance.During her talk, Wanga critiqued corporate cultures that prioritize words over action. “One of the things in corporate America we have to own is how much we like to make things look different, so we have to make as little change as possible,” she said.
   By aligning DEI actions to your company’s values, leaders can create genuine systemic change through transparent communication and accountability.
5. Are your DEI initiatives primarily for meeting business objectives or creating a more humane workplace?
   
   “DEI is not about ‘How many of this do you have?’ DEI is not about meeting goals… DEI is about teaching people how to get in touch with what they are good at.”Throughout her keynote, Wanga’s overarching call to action for DEI practitioners and leaders was to get clear on the true purpose of DEI—its human impact.
   
   During a time of anti-DEI cultural and legal shifts, as well as economic uncertainty, the case-making for DEI is more crucial now than ever. Research shows that justifying DEI by emphasizing how it creates a fairer workplace is more preferred by employees.”Before you go criticizing DEI and being worried about the fact that money’s going away, be more worried that people are taking their lives because they can’t come to work as they are—which matters more.”

Join us 11 March 2025, for more exciting insights from the premier gender equity and DEI conference, the Catalyst Awards. Fill out the form and select the box to receive your reminder to register.

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The post Is DEI authentic? Caroline Wanga says we need a reframe. appeared first on Catalyst.

With pay transparency laws changing across the US and UK, pay equity is now becoming a standard practice among leading organizations. More importantly, it is a key competitive differentiator for those looking to attract and retain key talent.

What causes this gender pay gap among women of color, and how can HR leaders and DEI practitioners work together to close it?

At the 2024 Catalyst Awards, Erin Souza-Rezendes, VP, Global Communications at Catalyst sat down with Google leaders Melonie Parker, Chief Diversity Officer and Rachel Spivey, Director of Retention & Progression (Stay & Thrive) Team to talk about how Google is creating pathways to pay equity for women of color.

Here are five lessons we learned:

1. Make compensation analysis business-critical. Equity starts at the top, and ensuring that comp analysis is fundamental to your strategic priorities gives pay transparency the gravitas it deserves.
2. Look at fairness holistically. Companies must invest in pay transparency to better understand the pay equity gap and do it continuously. Pay transparency is also just one component. Companies must also consider the role a person plays, their location, benefits, and other factors that could impact their pay.
3. Identify moments where inequity may be reinforced—and do something about them. Melonie’s team looks at each step of the employee’s journey to identify moments or places that might create or compound inequity. For example, at each level, Google does a salary reset so that when team members enter the organization at different levels, that inequity doesn’t compound once they are promoted. Similarly, her team schedules its compensation analysis so it aligns with annual merit and promotion increases.
4. Help team members understand the system. Many people take it for granted that employees understand performance evaluation systems and how salary bands and role expectations are structured. HR leaders and managers need to communicate how these systems work so employees can invest in the progression path that best suits their needs and lifestyle. Google takes this a step further with their Stay & Thrive program, which provides one-on-one guidance to employees, creating a process where an employee can feel heard and supported.
5. Don’t just guide, advocate. Having a mentor to help guide you through critical career moments is important, but people also need advocates who have access to the right rooms and conversations. At Google, the Stay & Thrive team works across the organization to advocate for the employees in the program.

Endnote:

1. Kochhar, R. (2023, March 1). The enduring grip of the gender pay gap. Pew Research Center.

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The post Unlock Equity for Women of Color: 5 Strategies from Google appeared first on Catalyst.

Two staff members of the Catalyst community—Paula Hornbaker, Product Executive and P&G Secondee, along with Julie Nugent, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Services and Community—shared their own examples of the Catalyst Effect in their lives. Supporter companies can learn more in the webinar recording for Driving the Catalyst Effect: Women Leaders Cultivating Workplace Equity. We reached out to hear more and continue the conversation.

Please tell us about someone who embodies the Catalyst Effect who has made a difference in your workplace, past or present.

Paula Hornbaker: Two leaders represent the Catalyst effect. As I reflected, these individuals embody the following key behaviors that inspired me and ultimately made a difference at work. First, they strive to make human connections by being authentic, approachable, and present when visiting a workplace or engaging with employees. Next, they exhibit courage by consistently leveraging an opportunity or their position to voice awareness and influence action on inclusion initiatives. Third, their messaging is measured—simple but thoughtful—to drive connection and relevance across all audiences that ultimately lead to action.

Julie Nugent: I’ve been fortunate to have had many sponsors throughout my career. One woman leader in particular took a chance on me early on, promoting me into a global stretch role. She told me that she knew I had the right skills and that she saw huge potential in me. A few months in, I remember sitting in her office, questioning my abilities to lead a huge project. She listened quietly and then said, “I believe you can do this. You need to believe in yourself too and not look back. You’ll be great.” Her confidence in me made all the difference, and I didn’t look back from that moment! I’ll never forget her quiet wisdom and her sponsorship of me. To this day, I talk about using past experiences as learning moments to better inform the future—and focusing on that future and not getting stuck on what happened in the past.

What is the number one thing organizations can do to promote gender equity in the workplace?

Julie Nugent: Engage in conversations about barriers, success strategies, and even how success is defined—across genders. It’s critical to understand diverse perspectives and be transparent about any challenges to ultimately overcome them. Also, support a sponsorship culture. While formal programs can be really powerful to promote greater gender equity, it’s also essential to build a sponsorship culture where others lift people up and are intentional in how they champion and advocate for talent.

Paula Hornbaker: I recommend making it a convention to understand the impact of practices, policies, procedures and even the physical workplace through a gender lens.  As learned in my work with Catalyst’s Frontline Employees Initiative, being present and connected to employees, experiencing the work through their eyes, and reflecting on the experience gained provides a new and contextual perspective that will inform your actions and help you create a better experience for all employees.

Read key takeaways from the Catalyst webinar, Driving the Catalyst Effect: Women Leaders Cultivating Workplace Equity, and 7 Things You Can Do for Women at Work, Including Yourself, This International Women’s Day.

Here’s what webinar participant Denine Das, VP of Global Inclusion, Scotiabank, had to say.

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The post Celebrating Women in the Workplace Who Promote Systemic Change appeared first on Catalyst.

In celebration of the 2024 International Women’s Day, watch an inspiring webinar highlighting women who are trailblazers in driving positive transformation in their workplaces and beyond. These barrier-breaking changemakers will share their personal stories of leaders who helped shape their career and values, and how they empower other women, promote inclusion, implement ethical business practices, and redefine leadership. 

During this session, our speakers: 

• Shared their personal leadership journeys and influences. 
• Outlined specific policies and programs they’ve created to foster positive, equitable work cultures. 
• Highlighted important lessons on empowering others and leading change as women. 

What you will learn: 

• Actionable solutions to cultivate equity and how you can employ them to stay committed to DEI initiatives in the face of heightened resistance. 
• Ways to become an ally and advocate to women facing systemic discrimination.  
• How to lead initiatives addressing implicit bias, discriminatory policies, and inequitable practices in your own workplace. 
• Best practices and actionable strategies centered on expanding opportunity for all women. 

At the end of this webinar recording, you will be galvanized to champion inclusion for women of all backgrounds. Whether you’re an aspiring leader or current manager, this webinar recording will equip you with new ideas to create an experience of belonging, advancement for women, and workplace cultures where every voice is valued.   

Speakers

Denine Das, Vice President, Global Inclusion, Scotiabank

Kalpana Arvind, CFO Audit, Managing Director and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion, KPMG

Paula Hornbaker, Product Executive, Catalyst and P&G Secondee

Zabeen Hirji, Executive Advisor, Future of Work, Deloitte, former Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC

Moderator

Julie Nugent, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Services & Community, Catalyst

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Read more insights:

• This International Women’s Day, Learn How to Bridge the Gender Equity Gap at Your Workplace
• Systemic Change Happens When People Committed to DEI Make Waves
• Celebrating Women in the Workplace Who Promote Systemic Change

The post Webinar Recording: Driving the Catalyst Effect: Women Leaders Cultivating Workplace Equity appeared first on Catalyst.

Mentorship and sponsorship were key topics at the 2023 Catalyst Honours Conference & Dinner —and with good reason. The conference theme, “Accelerating Equity on All Fronts—So Women Thrive,” urged leaders to build more gender-equitable workplaces from the front line to the C-suite. Mentorship and sponsorship are two of the tried-and-true, results-driven ways for companies to achieve equity.

Mentors vs. sponsors, what’s the difference?

Sponsors are advocates in positions of authority who use their influence intentionally to help others advance, while mentors provide advice, feedback, and coaching. Both are important to advancement as employees navigate the workplace and earn opportunities for growth.

Relevancy is paramount

Programs focused on advancing members of marginalized groups in the workplace through mentorship and sponsorship are critical for cultivating future leaders. However, mentor and sponsor relationships require understanding and accountability from both parties. Mentors and sponsors must understand each person’s unique background, life experiences, and career stage to provide relevant guidance.

“You have these moments of intense challenge. Whether it’s around raising your children… dealing with elder care or dealing with mental health challenges. The mentors that I have had [were] there for all those aspects of my life,” recounted Catalyst Honours Champion Mona Malone, Chief Human Resources Officer and Head, People, Culture & Brand, BMO Financial Group.

Pass on your privilege

Panelists in “Moving Beyond Diversity Toward Racial Equity” reminded mentors and sponsors to acknowledge systemic racism and the power of passing on their privilege.

Sabina Michael, Associate Director, Intercultural Skills Lab, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto noted that some groups, such as members of marginalized racial and ethnic groups and immigrants, lack access to important professional networks.

She advised sponsors to actively help their protegées gain access, saying, “Just by telling them, ‘These are the doors’ sometimes is not enough. As a sponsor, you need to go and press those buttons for them, so they can open the door.”

Seek out people to sponsor

Letecia Rose, Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Canadian Tire Corporation rallied leaders to act. “If you have ERGs [Employee Resource Groups], if you have affinity groups, you can’t say, ‘Well I don’t know where the people are.’ You do. They exist. They are dying for you to tap them on the shoulder.”

How mentors and sponsors can unlock talent

Developing future leaders requires patience, empathy, and commitment to unlocking access and opportunity.
Key takeaways from these sessions include:

• Mentors and sponsors play a critical role in advancing careers, especially for people from marginalized groups. They provide access to opportunities, guidance, and advocacy. Mentors can show the paths available, but sponsors can open doors and advocate for others.
• Mentors and sponsors must truly understand the unique barriers facing employees from marginalized groups to effectively advocate for them.
• Mentors and sponsors should actively seek out people who need sponsorship using employee resource groups as talent resource pools.
• Companies with successful mentorship and sponsorship programs do more than dedicate time and resources. They also visibly support these programs at the highest levels of the organizations.
• When allies develop cultural literacy and have open conversations, they can help companies make progress on the journey toward gender and racial equity.

If you know an impactful and inclusive leader, consider nominating them for the Catalyst Honours! Nominations for 2024 are open through February 16, 2024.

The post Mentorship and Sponsorship Are Keys to Unlocking the Next Generation of Talent appeared first on Catalyst.

• The origins of the “glass cliff” and why organizations may be more likely to offer high-level positions to women in times of turmoil 
• The experiences of Black women in leadership roles with the “glass cliff”  
• Strategies that organizations can implement to support and retain Black women at every level of the company. 

Learn more about the glass cliff and women of color.

Speakers

Janice Gassam Asare, PhD., DEI Consultant and Author of Decentering Whiteness in the Workplace

Prof. Farai Simoyi, Professor & Founder, The Narativ House

Jenn Wells, EdD, Director of Equity and Inclusion at Marlborough School and Organizational Change Consultant.

Moderator

Kathrina Robotham, Director, Research, Catalyst

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Black History Month Webinar: Black Women and the Glass Cliff appeared first on Catalyst.

Join us during Black History Month for a timely follow-up conversation on effective sponsorship and how allies can help to break down systemic barriers that impede Black women’s career progression.

According to Catalyst research, 89% of Black women say that they aspire to leadership positions in their workplace. At the same time, 41% report being highly on guard at work to protect against racial and ethnic bias. How can leaders and managers support Black women and create meaningful career pathways to support their advancement and leadership?

Through candid conversation, our panel of industry leaders and research experts will discuss the following using Catalyst Award-winning practices:

• Ways to foster conversations that increase awareness; build understanding and help address the unique barriers to advancement impacting Black women along their career pathways.
• The vital role of management and leaders in embedding a culture of effective sponsorship in organizations; and how sponsorship connects to strategies to build more inclusive workplaces for Black women.
• Advancing racial equity by increasing awareness of emotional tax and supporting Black women in growing their careers, developing job skills, reentering the workforce, and expanding access to well-paying careers

We invite executive leaders, managers, HR leaders, DEI practitioners, and champions of inclusion to join the discussion. The event is complimentary for Catalyst Supporters. Registration is mandatory.

Speakers

Rita Guzzetta, Cardiac Rhythm Management Vice President, Regulatory & Technical Communications at Medtronic

Aledia Evans, Senior Director, Corporate Engagement at Catalyst

Joy Ohm, VP, Science Writer & Advisor at Catalyst

LeeAnn Sims, Director, Diversity and Inclusion Americas at Franklin Templeton

Moderator

Allison Conklin, Director, Corporate Engagement at Catalyst

The post Allyship in the Workplace: Leadership Practices That Support Career Advancement for Black Women appeared first on Catalyst.